There is an old adage “Truth is stranger than fiction”. Well, it is not only stranger but many times it’s even more interesting than fiction. The same holds true in the case of movies that are based on real-life stories and incidents. In this article, we have handpicked for our readers a list of five must-watch Indian and foreign movies based on real-life which you can watch on the Netflix OTT platform.
Paan Singh Tomar (2012)
Helmed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, the film featured Irrfan Khan in the titular role of Paan Singh Tomar, a former Indian Army soldier who had won seven times consecutively in the 3000 meters steeplechase event at the Indian National Games. However, circumstances eventually make a feared rebel/baaghi at the infamous Chambal valley.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
This Steven Spielberg directorial was inspired by Frank Abagnale Jr’s semi-autobiographical book of the same name. In the film, Leonardo Di Caprio played the role of a teenager named Frank Abagnale Jr., who turned into a con artist and masqueraded as a pilot, doctor, and prosecutor.
On his trail is a determined FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), who is hellbent on catching the elusive deceiver and expert forger.
Lion (2016)
Based on the non-fiction book titled ‘A Long Way Home’, the film narrates the incredible true story of a five-year-old Indian boy Saroo (Dev Patel) who accidentally gets separated from his family and lands in the far-off city Kolkata.
Eventually, he is adopted by an Australian family and relocates. Many years later, he uses Google Earth technology coupled with his faded childhood memories and makes it his mission to find his original home and long-lost family in India.
Panipat (2019)
The war drama movie set in 18th century India is based on the third battle of Panipat which happened on 14th January 1761 between the Maratha Empire and the invading Afghan army under Ahmad Shah Abdali, the king of Afghanistan.
Sanjay Dutt played the role of Ahmad Shah Abdali while Arjun Kapoor stepped into the shoes of the brave Commander-in-Chief Sadashiv Rao Bhau. The film was helmed by ‘Lagaan’ director Ashutosh Gowariker.
Richard Jewell (2019)
Directed by living legend Clint Eastwood and based on true events, the film follows a security guard named Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) who suddenly becomes a hero after he finds a mysterious bag containing a bomb and saves many lives at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
But his life takes an unexpected turn when he himself becomes a suspect in the bombing. He takes legal help from an attorney and his former acquaintance (Sam Rockwell).